Although sometimes overlooked, there is no question that portable restrooms on construction sites improves morale and helps efficiencies, which is important to keeping things moving and getting things done.
By Bill Weber
The level of activity around a construction site many times resembles bees working around a hive. Everybody is busy moving here and there doing their job while trying to get things done on time. Construction sites, needless to say, are full of hard-working guys and gals who need tools, materials, and at certain times during the day, portable restrooms.
Although sometimes overlooked, there is no question that portable restrooms on construction sites for the construction crew improves morale and helps efficiencies which is important to keeping things moving and getting things done. After all, where else can they go to take care of business, other than offsite down the street at the local convenience store? We all know what that can mean: less production and higher costs per man-hour of work; not to mention potential liability issues. Suffice to say, having a portable restroom on a construction site simply makes good business sense.
But how do you determine how many portable toilets you need for construction sites? How often will they need to be serviced? Where on the job sites should toilets be placed? Here are some tips for understanding the factors affecting portable toilets for construction sites.
Servicing Portable Toilets
The amount of traffic/use and duration of the construction project determines how often the portable toilets will need to be serviced. Long-term construction projects will require multiple toilet service calls to maintain sanitary conditions and comply with industry standards. Servicing and cleaning toilets every seven days is a highly recommended standard. However, this can vary based on the number of workers on the jobsite (some weeks there may be more than others), the season—summer heat may require more frequent servicing—and the volume of use.
Number of People Working on the Project
As a simple rule of thumb: a construction site needs a minimum of one portable toilet for every 10 workers. When there are more than 20 workers, one toilet seat and one urinal per every 40 workers is a standard requirement. On especially large projects where crew numbers exceed 200, one toilet and one urinal for every 50 is the standard. Whenever possible, having a urinal/toilet combination unit onsite is recommended to accommodate a higher volume of use.
Plan for the Layout and Size of the Job Site
For worksites that are spread out over a large parcel of property, rather than placing toilets all in one location, it is recommended that they are conveniently located and easily accessible throughout. By having toilets strategically placed within the working area, this eliminates the amount of “travel” time it takes for crew members working in the far back lot to “take care of business”. Construction projects can last weeks and even months. So planning and placement is important to avoid lost time and productivity.
Portable Restrooms on Job Sites are a Good Investment
By providing a portable restroom on your jobsite you can reduce the distance employees must travel to use a restroom as well as the time employees must spend searching for an alternative facility because no close restroom has been provided. The annual cost of 10 minutes of wasted toilet time per employee, per day:
Having portable toilets on a construction site has become a necessity. Construction guys and gals need bathroom breaks just like those working in an indoor setting, so keeping a few clean portable toilets at your company’s construction sites is necessary for worker morale, and certainly is looked upon favorably by the clients for whom you are doing the work.
Bill Weber is Vice President of Franchise Support for redbox+ (Winona, MN) a national franchise system specializing in construction and demolition waste collection and disposal. Bill has more than 30 years of experience in the franchise and business development, residential remodeling and waste disposal industries. He can be reached at (507) 452-8242 or e-mail [email protected].